Servicing multi-piece and single-piece rim-wheels used on large vehicles such as trucks, tractors, trailers, buses and off road machines is generally regarded as dangerous work. Rim-wheels, whether multi-piece or single-piece, include an assembly of tire, tube, wheel components, and liner, where appropriate. Such rim-wheels are inflated to great pressure for use and improperly assembled or damaged rim-wheels have the potential to separate with violent force. Consequently, restraining devices have been developed that provide a barrier between the components of a rim-wheel and a person. Such restraining devices typically include a cage, rack, assembly of bars, or other components and constrain the rim-wheel in the case of an explosive separation or sudden release of air from the rim-wheel. These restraining devices, which are commonly referred to in the art as tire inflation cages, are in widespread use.
To position a rim-wheel within a tire inflation cage, a technician rolls an upstanding rim-wheel into the space defined within the bars of the cage. Tire inflation cages often include tire stops on the bottom that prevent the rim-wheel from rolling out of the cage once the rim-wheel is positioned so that a portion of the rim-wheel rests on the base of the cage between the tire stops. The tire stops are small enough to allow a technician to roll a rim-wheel over them as he positions the rim-wheel within the tire inflation cage, but large enough to prevent a wheel from rolling out of the cage, such as when it is unattended.
Once a rim-wheel is positioned in a tire inflation cage, it may need to be repositioned in order for the components of the rim-wheel to be accessible to the technician. In some instances, access to the rim-wheel's valve stem may be blocked by portions of the tire inflation cage, such as one of its bars. In such instances, the rim-wheel is rolled out of the tire inflation cage, moved around, and rolled back into the tire inflation cage with the intent that the valve stem or other component will then be accessible and not blocked by the cage. This approach is inexact, but is more manageable than lifting and manually rotating the rim-wheel, as they can be very heavy. In fact, rim-wheels are generally not rotatable once they are in a tire inflation cage because of the space constraints of the cage and the size and weight of the rim-wheel.
Thus, a need exists in the art for apparatus that can improve the efficiency of servicing rim-wheels in a tire inflation cage.